Neo-Ottomanism: the political economy of contemporary Turkey

The following article, published in "Morning Star" newspaper on January 20th, under the title "Neo-Ottomanism: the political economy of contemporary Turkey", was written by the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) Kemal Okuyan:

After failure in Syria, the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is busy developing a second version of his neo-Ottoman project, which he first brought onto the political agenda in the second half of the early 2000s.

Turkey's Communist Party slams Erdogan's warmongering plans in Libya

In a statement issued today, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) condemns the warmongering plans of Tayyip Erdogan's government in Libya. 

More specifically, the TKP statement refers to the recent adoption of a bill by the Turkish Parliament which gives the green light to Erdogan to deploy troops in Libya.

TKP called for the cancellation of this recent bill and those which proceeded it and called on all armed forces in the territory of other countries' lands to return to the country.

The full statement published in soL news portal is as follows:

Turkey: University student sentenced to 9 years in jail over a book and a cap with star!

A new incident from Turkey comes to verify the escalation of repression exercised by Tayyip Erdogan's AKP regime. 

According to a report by bianet.org, a university student has been convicted of "membership of and propagandizing for the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C)" because a biographical book about Ibrahim Kaypakkaya, the founder of the Communist Party of Turkey/Marxist-Leninist (TKP/ML), and a cap with a star on it were found in his house.

In Erdogan's Turkey 18 million people are living below poverty line

While the world's media are busy covering Tayyip Erdogan's visit in the United States, a report issued by the General Workers Union exposes the harsh reality of the deepening of social inequalities in Turkey. 

According to a report titled "Income Inequality and Poverty in Turkey", the number of poor people in Turkey is 16 million, while 18 million people are living below poverty line. 

As the report notes, the working pverty in the country has increased by 11% in one year, while the capitalist crisis has created more than 1 million newly unemployed. 

"Erdogan and the USA are partners in crime in Syria" — Communist Party of Turkey (TKP)

The Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) has released a statement regarding the military offensive into northern Syria, on which Turkey carrying out ground attacks and airstrikes. Shouting "hands off Syria!", TKP says AKP and the United States are partners in crime in Syria for the last eight years. The statement is the following:

"Syria has been suffering for eight years.

About eight years ago, anti-government demonstrations commenced in Syria. These demonstrations soon turned into an armed uprising and clashes in certain cities. Then together with the involvement of foreign forces, the civil war and the occupation of imperialist powers led by the US started.

AKEL responds to Erdogan's remarks at the UN General Assembly

Responding to the remarks made by the President of Turkey Rejep Tayyip Erdogan at the 74th U.N. General Assembly in New York, the Press Office of the CC of the Progressive Party of the Working People (AKEL) issued the following statement:

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has reiterated from the podium of the UN General Assembly Turkey's well-known positions on the Cyprus problem and its claims in the Eastern Mediterranean. The leader of the occupyingpower has even provocatively claimed that the Greek Cypriots are the reason why the Cyprus problem has not been resolved for 50 years.

KKE comment on Mitsotakis' visit in New York

Commenting on the recent visit of Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in New York within the context of the 74th United Nations General Assembly, the Press Office of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) pointed out the following:

"Despite the effort of the government to present in a positive way the visit of the Prime Minister in New York and his meeting with President Erdogan, the raw truth for the people's interests is in the opposite direction. 

Istanbul mayoral re-election: The stance of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP)

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality elections were unlawfully annuled and are going to be repeated on June 23. The Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) issued a statement and clarified its position. 

As early as the announcement of the annulment decision, the Party had declared that Ekrem İmamoğlu had been elected as the Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, and that the TKP candidate for the March 31 elections, Zehra Güner Karaoğlu, would not be nominated again for any repeated elections.

Istanbul election re-run: Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) slams Erdogan's decision

In a statement the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) calls the people of boycott the election re-run for Istanbul Metropolitian Municipality. Read the full statement below: 

"Supreme Election Council's (YSK) decision means taking away people's right to vote!

YSK announced its decision. To be more precise, Erdogan's decision to cancel the Istanbul elections, which were completed on March 31, is now echoed by the YSK. The fact that the decision is now made does not change that it is unlawful and unreasonable.

KKE: "The people of Turkey and Greece have nothing to divide, must fight against NATO"

On  the occasion of the meeting between Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) issued a statement. The following is an unofficial translation of the statement: 

"Since the Tsipras-Erdogan meeting, like previous relevant meetings, consists part of the broader imperialist plans and competitions in the region, where the bourgeois classes of both countries participate, there can be no positive developments for the people.

Erdogan and Gülen, former accomplices in CIA anti-communist campaign in Turkey

Fethullah Gülen, the islamic preacher and businessman who resides in Pennsylvania, is today regarded as the number one enemy of Tayyip Erdogan's AKP government which has repeatedly asked for his extradition to Turkey. 

However, it is known that Erdogan and Gülen were once close allies. What is less known is that both men had participated, in one or another way, in the CIA-designed anti-communist campaign in Turkey during the Cold War years. 

98 years of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP): Socialism is possible and necessary

On September 10th, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) issued a statement regarding the 98th anniversary since the foundation of the "oldest and youngest party" of the country:

"We will not content ourselves with something less than what is possible. Even though some claim that it is “impossible”, socialism is the only possible future in Turkey and the world.

The rest is nothing but darkness. The rest is nothing but lies.

Turkey's currency crisis: "Our country has become the playground of international monopolies" says the Communist Party

The Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) has released a statement on the current currency crisis in Turkey, declaring that Turkey "has become the playground of international monopolies, companies and banks". 

The full statement issued by the TKP is the following:

DO NOT BE DUPED ANY MORE

Our country has become the playground of international monopolies, companies and banks, the names of which we cannot even pronounce correctly.

Turkish Elections: Tayyip Erdogan's victory celebrated by major capitalists

Turkey's capitalists' organizations have celebrated the victory of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his electoral alliance between the ruling AKP party and the ultra-right MHP party following the presidential and parliamentary elections on June 24, reports the news portal soL. 

As Erdoğan won 52,5 per cent in the first round of presidential poll, The Turkish Industry and Business Association (TÜSİAD), the country’s wealthiest capitalist establishment, has released a press statement following the voting:

16 years of Erdogan's rule in Turkey: Profits for capitalists, poverty for workers

16 years under the rule of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's AKP government stand for poverty and occupational murders for working people as capitalists enjoy Erdoğan's 'resurrection' model, writes soL international in an interesting report. 

As Turkey is heading to the polls for presidential and parliamentary elections, statistical data contradicts President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan‘s electoral manifesto and the rhetoric of ‘resurrection’ considering Turkey’s 16 years under the rule of his AKP party government.

Defying Erdogan: Turkey's Communist Party will nominate candidates for June elections

Despite the decision of the country's Suprepe Electoral Council to prohibit its participation in the upcoming parliamentary elections in June, the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) is determined to fight against Erdogan government's authoritarianism and will nominate candidates under the slogan "This social order must change". 

TKP WILL NOMINATE INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES for the PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS.

KKE slams Erdogan's "bazaar" over the two Greek soldiers detained in Turkey

In a recent TV interview, commenting on the EU-Turkey Summit in Varna, Turkish President Erdogan referred to the case of the two Greek Army officers who, since March 2, are detained in a prison in Edirne. 

More specifically, Tayyip Erdogan said: “They asked us to return the two Greek soldiers and we told them that there are 8 soldiers who tried to do a coup. First of all you have to hand over those (eight), if you give us them then we can put the two on the table of talks” and he added "in order for us to remove the issue of the illegal border crossing by the two Greek soldiers and to bring the matter, return the 8 Turkish soldiers.”

Erdogan's regime prohibits Communists from participating in June elections

According to soL international latest report, Turkey's top election authority has ruled the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) will not be allowed to run in June 24 snap elections. 

Supreme Election Board (YSK) has also not approved the participation of the leftist ÖDP and EMEP. YSK, which acts according to the directives of the AKP government, announced that only 10 political parties were eligible to take part in the elections. 

TKP statement on Turkey's early elections: "We hold our salvation in our own hands"

Following the call by President Rejep Tayyip Erdogan to hold early elections on June 24th, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) issued a statement:

"Turkey is experiencing a political gridlock which binds both the ruling party and opposition parties. This gridlock cannot be eliminated with early elections as suggested by Erdoğan and his partner Bahçeli. 

For at the root of this gridlock, there lies the Turkish economy that has come to an almost complete standstill; there lies the Turkish foreign policy which tosses and turns restlessly within the imperialist world; there lies internal policies which fail to go to the root of the problem but fiddle with fake solutions; there lies the fact that large masses are condemned to despair and helplessness; there lies this social order that persistently creates poverty, unemployment, injustice and tyranny.

KKE Gen. Secretary Koutsoumbas warns of a “hot” incident between Greece and Turkey

“As the situation goes on, I am afraid that we will not avoid a “hot” incident” said Dimitris Koutsoumbas, General Secretary of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece during a TV interview on Tuesday.

Speaking to ANT1 News, Koutsoumbas expressed his Party's concern about the latest developments in the Greek-Turkish relations. More specifically, he said:

“It seems that the policy of the Turkish bourgeois class, of the Turkish government, of Mr Erdogan, is oriented to put on the table- he already does verbally as well as practically- the violation of Greece's sovereign rights, the challenge of the Lausanne treaty, of Greek islands and islets in the Aegean which are Greek territory."